No, no, it's not a dig at the TA, I fully respect all those civvies who are dedicated enough to the cause to keep up their fitness and skills to be able to deploy to the sandy places...

I have a mate who has convinced himself he'd like to try life in green but with no commitment to it. When I say no commitment, I don't just mean that he can walk away when he pleases, I mean the leechy fucktard doesn't want to get involved in the nasty business of war.

He wants to join t'army but would prefer not to have to deploy. Anywhere.

I've told him the army is stretched to breaking at the minute and neither the regulars or the TA can afford to take on passengers who don't want to do their bit, but he doesn't appear to understand. I've expressed my disgust to him, that he'd take resources away but give nothing back, but he thinks it's a fucking laugh.

GAH!

Just wondering what you TA bods think - would you be happy with someone at your unit who was open and honest about just wanting a jolly old time? I understand that even only 5 years ago, the TA would have been more of a jolly-type thing, but with the world falling to bits these days, will the TA take on people who make it clear they don't want to deploy??

I personally don't share that view, but I appreciate where he's coming from. Mobilisation is all voluntary anyway.

If it really hits the fan, and I mean REALLY, then at the end of the day he will still be there, trained up to do a job.

Plus I had plenty of these 'only there for the craic' guys who would turn up and at the very least provide us with extra bods on the ground. Which can really help make things work for those who do take things a little bit more seriously.

Times have changed though, what might have been a fun adventure 20 - 30 years ago is very different now. I'm sure if I was a recruiter right now and some kid came to me and said "I'd like to join the army please! Afghanistan? Oooh, oh no, not for me, ta," I'd send the little b'stard out the door.